Game



L'L. FLATOW.

GAME. APPLICATIDN FILED act. 22, I920.

2 SHEETS-$HVEET L uoentoc 3 ca. 5% @444 v mam Patented Apr. 12, 1921.

J. L. FLATOW GAME.

APPUCATJON FILED OCT. 22, 1920.

7 1,374,844. A Patented Apr. 12,1 21.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- UNITED STA'l' ES PATENT OFFICE...

GAME.

.Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 12, 1921.

Application 'fllcd October 22, 1920. Serial No. 418,835.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I JOHN L. FLA'row, a citizen of the United states, and a resident of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Imrovements in Games, of which the follow- -1 is a specification.

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein corresponding reference numerals are used to indicate corresponding parts in each of the several views-- a Figure 1 is a perspective view of a game ap aratus embodying my present invention.

ig; 2 is a longitudinal section.

Fig. 3 is a plan view, and

Fi 4 is an enlarged detail section showi t e' operation of the gate.

11 carrying out my invention -I employ a table 1, which is supported in an inclined osition by legs 2, any desired design. ldpon the table, at the sides thereof, I secure rails 3 which terminate lower-end of the table and from the lower ends of the rails 3, short rails 4 converge somewhat downward and terminate near and at opposite sides of the medial longitudinal line of the table. From the inner lower ends of the rails4, arallel rails 5 extend to the lower end of t e table, said rails 5 constituting the side walls of the goal or pocket and a cross plate 6 closing the lower end of the pocket.

Throughout the area of the table between the nails 4 and the upper end of the table, are obstacles consisting of ins 7 secured in the table and projecting rom the upper surface of the same at a right angle thereto. These pins may be provided in any desired number and are arranged equidistantl but in staggered relation as shown most c early in Fig. 3. J

Inverted cu s or shells 8, of brass leather or any desired material, are loosely iitted on in the District of Columbia,

site beinghthat it serve as a on short of the i the upper ends of the pins 7, to receive the impact of the balls or other ob'ects and prevent chip mg or marring 0 the surface thereof. s the cups or shells 8 are loose on the pins, they not only shield or guard the [HHS and balls from, injury but Wlll rotate freely on the pins when on aged by a ball and so present an unstae support wh ch will prevent a. ball 10d 'ng against a pm and failin to roll to the wer end of the table. The halls 9 are discharged onto the table by and from a holder 10, which is hinged to the upper end of the table and may be of any preferred form, the requiwhen lowered as own, to hold the bal s, and when swung upward will permit the balls to gravitate or roll onto the table.

In the larger sizes of the ap aratus the holder may be controlled by a ca ble or chain 11, secured at one end to the'holder and passing upward therefrom to a guide pulley 12, supported in any convenient manner, and thence to asecond ide pulley' 13, from winch its free end epends. A- handle or grip 14 of any desired form may be secured on the extremity of the cable.

In the small toy sizes the cable may be omitted and the holder 10 actuated by the hand direct.

The rails 5 are spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the diameter of a ball 9, so that while any one ball may enter the goal easily only one ball may pass at one time. The admission of one ball to the goal and the barring of subsequent balls is accomplished automatically by a gate 15 which consists of a plate disposed longitudinally of the goal and provided between its ends with a. transverse bafile 16. The plate is also provided at its edges with lugs or ears 17 receiving pivots 18 fitted through osts 19 or other supports. In this floor o the goal or pocket and near the entrance thereto there is an exit opening 20, from which a return way 21 leads to a trough or other receptacle 22 supplorted on the legs 2, below In the initial osition the balls are disposed in the ho der in a row extending across the end of the table and the gate has its front end bearing upon the floor of the pocket and its battle projecting toward the entrance as shown in Fig. 2. l The holder 10 being swung upward the balls will'be delivered upon the table and will roll down Y the inclined surface of the same to the rails 4 and bein deflected by them toward the goal or poc et. One of the balls will enter the goal and ride against the baiiie 16, the impact causing the baflle to swing rearwardly and turn the gate to the position shown in full lines inFig. 4, in which its front end rests u oni-the slide 23. The ball striking .the ba e-will -thus be permitted to pass?! the lower front end of the goal and willbe declared the winner-while the remaining balls will be" held by the rear end .ofthe gate and it will be noted that the mar en Of the gateis rolled or curved as ifimorereadily pass between the adg balls; I'he balls are numbered-and the playersfivilfbe furnished tokens bearing corifispdnding numbers, the player holding the; umber corresponding to the min ber on. the hall which passes the gatebeing entitled to whatever prize may be ofiered. After the winner has been. determined the pin 25 is released andf'the slide drawn forward, whereupon the gate will swing to the -lead to the goal.- l0

secure by Letters Patent of the United position shown in dotted lines in FigLl and the balls will enter the return way 21 h and pass .throughthe sameto the receptacle 22 whence they may be transferred to the holder 10 by an attendant. The winning ball may be placed in the return way by the operator in charge of the ga ne who will a manuallyf'set the", ate in its-initial; sitlon and the sli e23. 1.. The balls'obviouslywill be defl i an divertedby the obstacles 7 apdg l "and t1 progress of the several'balls (west ab may be observed by the players G11 o terest will beyarou dand intensified as ball and then another be .iilltl Having thus "fully described'm, inve 7' tion, what I claim as new and esire'to States, i's

L'A me apparatus comprising an inclined ta le, a goal at the lower end of the over the table to the .table, a plurality of rolling objects to travel over the table to the goal, and a gate mounted in the goal for swinging movement .in' a vertical plane constructed and arranged to be actuatedby one of the rolling objects -:whereby to admit the same to the goal and exclude the remaining objects.

2. A game apparatus comprising an inclined table, a goal at the lower end of the table, a plurality of rolling objects to travel over the table to. the goal, and a gate mounted in the goal for swinging movement in a vertical plane and having a baflie on its under side to be actuated by one of the rolling objects whereby to admit the same to the goal and exclude the remaining objects.

3. A game apparatus comprising an inclined table, a goal at the lower end of the table, a plurality of rolling objects to travel -over the table to the goal, a gate mounted to rockin a vertical plane longitudinally of the goal and hear at either end upon the bottom of the goal, and a transverse ballie on the under side of the gate adapted to receive ,the impact of a rolling object entering the goal whereby to lift the front end of the gate'and 'cause the rear end thereof to bear upon the bottom permitting the impacting ob ect to ass and arresting the travel of the succeeding objects.

4. A game apparatus, comprising an inclined tabIe a goal at the lower end of the table, a plurality of rolling objects to travel y I, an exit in the floor of the goal, a shde uponsaid floor normally covering said exit, and a rocking gate arranged to be actuated by a rolling object entering the goal to cause its rear end to bear upon the slide over the exit and arrest travel of subsequent objects, the

withdrawal of the slide permitting the end ofthe gate to swing across the exit and admit the rolling objects thereto.

5. A game apparatus, comprising'anim clined table, a plurality or rolling objects adaptedto travelby gravity overthe'table, a goal at the lower end of the table, and means actuated by one of the rollin objects to control the admission of said 0 ject to the goal and arrest or exclude the remaining objects.

JOHN L. FLATOW. 

